Stock feeder



Jan. 22, 1963 D. L. SPENCER STOCK FEEDER Filed May 23, 1961 A INV ENTOR.

l?? Mw/d. Wwf/4 3,074,377 STCK FEEDER Donald L. Spencer, RFD. 4, iowaCity, Iowa Filed May 23, 1961, Ser. No. 112,099 3 Claims. (tCl. 119-54)This invention relates to a feeding system for stock animals, andparticularly feed troughs with a central supply unit.

it is an object of the invention to provide a feeder with ready accessto a central supply, yet affording economy of space and material. Afurther object is to provide a segregated feeding arrangement in whichsmall stock may feed without undue waste, and which nevertheless issufficiently ilexible to accommodate larger animals. Yet another objectis to combine, with the foregoing, an automatic feature for replenishingthe feed in the trough. Additionally, it is an object to provide for afeeding device which is simple of construction, easy of manufacture, andlow in cost.

These and other objects, which will be apparent to those skilled in theart, are attained by the present invention a preferred form of which isdescribed in the following specification, as illustrated in the drawing,in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the feeding system, with a feedinganimal indicated in phantom,

FIGURE 2 is an axial, sectional View throuh the system,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FlGURE 2, and

FGURE 4 is a sectional view along the line 4 4 of FGURE 2, showingdetails.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, there is shown asmall, silo type supply container il?, of cylindrical form, such as, forinstance, a conventional steel barrel, which is provided with aprotective cover 12, having a central handle 14.

The barrel has a bottom i6, with a peripheral bead 13, which is crimpedover the lower edge of the side wall of the barrel, and from a lineflush with the bottom of the barrel, its side wall is provided with aseries of windows Zti, equiangularly spaced about the periphery of thebarrel and extending substantially above the bottom. These are thedispensing openings leading to the feed trough. Comporting with thecylindrical form of the barrel silo, the feed trough 22 is circular, or,more exactly, toroidal. As will be apparent from the drawing, the troughmay consist of an old tire carcass, but the invention also contemplatesits deliberate manufacture, as from plastic material, for instance. Forfeeder openings, recesses 24 are cut out of the bead and side wall ofthe tire, at angularly spaced positions about the tire. Preferably thesewill have the horseshoe shape indicated, and will be equal in number andspacing to the barrel windows Ztl, so that they may be aligned to permitagitation of the feed from the silo by the natural motions of thefeeding animal. To this end, there is provided, at each window, aprotruding rod 26, radially extending from a position centrally of thebarrel bottom, to which it is secured by a screw 28, passing through anend loop 3% on the rod. The rod, which is preferably of springymaterial, extends into the interior of the feed trough, so that it willbe actuated by the movements of the animal during feeding, and thisagitation is not only communicated to the contents at the bottom of thebarrel, but throughout its height, by virtue of a vertical portion 32 ofthe rod, rising from a reversely bent portion 34 of the rod which leadsback through window 20.

The feed trough 22 has an inner diameter smaller than the diameter ofthe barrel, such that the bead 1S of the 3,674,377 Fatented Jan. 22,1953 barrel bottom rests on the inner wall of the tire, and the tongues36 of the tire wall between the recess 24 are xed outwardly in beingfitted over the barrel, so that they engage it with a degree of pressuredue to the resiliency of the tire wall. This will vary with the tire andthe width of the tongue, but in any case will be of appreciablemagnitude. This not only tends to make the parts hang together, as whena shift of location is effected, but also tends to inhibit violentfeeding action by the animals, yet yielding to steady pressures duringnormal behavior. While the windows in the trough may be designed forready use only by the smaller animals, yet the construction is such thataccess can be negotiated by larger animals if need be, since they willreadily learn to nose the irnpeding tongues ont of the way.Nevertheless, the advantage lies with the smaller animals. Duringfeeding, there will be a constantly repeated impact on rod 26 which willcause periodic disturbance within the supply barrel, and thus guaranteeoutflow of feed.

While a certain preferred embodiment has been shown and described,various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, inthe light of this disclosure, and the invention should not, therefore,be deemed as limited, except insofar as shall appear from the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

l claim:

l. A feeding device for stock, comprising a cylindrical supply containerwith closed bottom and a side wail having a series of equi-angularlyspaced windows adjacent said bottom, a radially disposed spring rodpassing through each of said windows and anchored to said bottom,centrally thereof, each said rod having a reversely bent portion passingthrough its respective window from the outside to the inside of thecontainer, and a bent portion extending vertically upward through saidcontainer, and a circular trough frictionally attached to saidcontainer, comprising a hollow torus of horseshoe form cross sectionwith an opening on its inner side, the diameter of said inner side beingless than that of the container, and said trough having a series ofnotches on one side, opening into said inner side, equal in number andangular spacing to said windows.

2. The device of claim 1, said notches having a width substantiallyco-extensive with that of Said windows.

3. A feeding device for stock, comprising a cylindrical supplycontainer, with closed bottom, and a side wall having a series ofequi-angularly spaced windows adjacent said bottom, a series of radiallydisposed spring rods anchored to said bottom and extending upwardlythrough said container, and having an arm extending through one of saidwindows, and a circular trough associated with said container,comprising a hollow torus of Uform cross section with the bight of thel) outward, the diameter of inner edges of the torus being less thanthat of said container, whereby to form a support for the bottomthereof, and said torus having angularly spaced, radial notches in onewall and its inner edge, said notches equal in number and spacing tosaid windows, and the portions of said wall between the notches beingadapted to be flexed and resiliently and frictionaily engaging the sideof said container.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,156,428 Myers Oct. 12, 1915 1,788,092 Fink Jan. 6, 1931 2,592,638Andrew Apr. 15, 1952 2,640,464 Jindrick June 2, 1953

1. A FEEDING DEVICE FOR STOCK, COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL SUPPLY CONTAINERWITH CLOSED BOTTOM AND A SIDE WALL HAVING A SERIES OF EQUI-ANGULARLYSPACED WINDOWS ADJACENT SAID BOTTOM, A RADIALLY DISPOSED SPRING RODPASSING THROUGH EACH OF SAID WINDOWS AND ANCHORED TO SAID BOTTOM,CENTRALLY THEREOF, EACH SAID ROD HAVING A REVERSELY BENT PORTION PASSINGTHROUGH ITS RESPECTIVE WINDOW FROM THE OUTSIDE TO THE INSIDE OF THECONTAINER, AND A BENT PORTION EXTENDING VERTICALLY UPWARD THROUGH SAIDCONTAINER, AND A CIRCULAR TROUGH FRICTIONALLY ATTACHED TO SAIDCONTAINER, COMPRISING A HOLLOW TORUS OF HORSESHOE FORM CROSS SECTIONWITH AN OPENING ON ITS INNER SIDE, THE DIAMETER OF SAID INNER SIDE BEINGLESS THAN THAT OF THE CONTAINER, AND SAID TROUGH HAVING A SERIES OFNOTCHES ON ONE SIDE, OPENING INTO SAID INNER SIDE, EQUAL IN NUMBER ANDANGULAR SPACING TO SAID WINDOWS.